The border city of Sentres could be seen in the distance. The walls were lower than that of Fressia, but that didn’t make them any less formidable. The ramparts were thick and looked heavily reinforced, the gates lined with steel. The city was clearly built to withstand sieges, most likely a self-contained ecosystem, if need be.

“Have you guys been to Sentres before?” Lilly asked.

“I only passed through. A few months ago, I had graduated from the Proana Institute of the Arcane Arts in the capital, then took a caravan to Fressia, and met John and Eli after a month of adventuring solo. I don’t really remember much about it.”

“Ah, well, John, what should we do now that the caravan is dissolving?”

“We can either return back to Fressia via caravan, continue on to the Capital, or do some jobs in Sentres. There’s a well-known dungeon nearby that’s regulated by the Society, that’s a good opportunity for you to get some experience.”

“A dungeon?”

“A place of immense mana density, that spawns monsters as well as mana crystals and other useful resources. There’s usually treasure to be found as well.”

“What do you mean the Society regulates it? Do they only allow certain adventurers access to the dungeon?”

“That’s part of it. A dungeon can be cleared if you take the treasure from the innermost room. It can also release all the monsters inside and collapse if monsters aren’t regularly killed. The Society prevents adventurers from clearing the dungeon and ensures it doesn’t collapse so that it continues to grow and stays a stable source of income.”

“Oh,” Lilly said. “How hard are the monsters?”

“Monster levels get progressively higher the more floors you descend. I heard that the minimum for the one here is in the thirties,” John explained.

“I’ve only ever been in a dungeon for university trips and it was only a small one. I vote to try it out!”

“I’ve never been in one, so I’d like to see what it’s like,” Lilly said.

“Eli?”

“We’ve both been in dungeons plenty before, it’ll be a good experience for them,” quipped Eli.

John nodded. “Very well, looks like we’ll be staying in Sentres for a while. How about we go collect our reward once we’re in the city and find a place to stay?” They agreed unanimously.

The caravan slowly reached the city gates, and one of the leading merchants took a few minutes to talk to the guard. Shortly afterward, it seemed that some sort of argument ensued between the two, leading to a few more merchants and guards getting involved.

Lilly looked at the commotion curiously. “I wonder what the hold up is.”

However, before she could go investigate, the caravan was let through the gate. The wheels of their wagon rolled loudly on the gravel, bringing them past the guards. On the way into the city, Lilly could see, or sense rather, a feeling of animosity directed towards their party. She looked around for the source and found a guard glowering at John and Eli.

A specist guard? She thought worriedly. They were soon past the gate, but the memory of the guard nagged at the back of Lilly’s mind. She shrugged and tried to dismiss it as senseless anxiety. She looked around at the city as they moved towards the guild, and found that the buildings had a modern aesthetic to them. Lots of buildings were made of metal or concrete and many sported large glass windows.

The caravan reached the front of the Society, and all the adventurers disembarked, meeting up with the head merchant to have their reports signed and stamped. Lilly walked up to get her forms sorted, then stepped back and waited for John and company to finish theirs.

When they were done, she gestured towards the building. “Shall we?”

John nodded. “Yeah, let’s go form an official party.” He led the way into the building.

A spacious hall greeted them, one not unlike the main lobby of a bank on Earth. The floor was tiled marble, waxed till it reflected their images back to them. Receptionists sat on the far end behind glass booths layered by a brass cage. On the left flank of the booths was a stairway leading to the next floor, and on their right was a familiar board with job requests posted along its length. The building was supported by regularly spaced quartz pillars, set into the exterior walls. In contrast to the opulent materials, the architecture was done with simplicity and elegance, creating an effect of subtle grandeur instead of a garish extravagance.

As they walked up to the receptionists, they could see that they all wore similar outfits. They wore a sensible white blouse, with a black vest and a blue ribbon tie. Sitting on their left breast was their guild insignia and their name tag directly underneath. There were four booths, three of which meant for returning adventurers. Lilly and the others got in line for the rightmost booth.

“This place looks very fancy compared to Fressia,” Lilly said.

“Well, of course. The biggest guild in Fressia is the Merchant’s Guild, so they get the lion’s share of the city’s funds. Not to mention, Sentres is very prosperous because of the nearby dungeon that is under Society management. The Society takes a portion of the profit, so this branch is very well endowed,” Amy explained.

Lilly and John submitted their completion reports to a receptionist, named Kathy, together.

“Hmm..,” Kathy reviewed the reports, “botched escort job, but the requestor is still granting full payment. You’re lucky. Hand me your cards for a moment.”

She left their reports and identification and returned shortly with the stipulated funds. “Here you go. Anything else you need?”

“Yes, we would like to request access to the dungeon.”

“Dungeon access will cost twenty silver per month for parties of up to five. All materials you obtain within the dungeon may be sold here at the guild, there are trading facilities next door. Would you like to get an access permit?”

“Yes, we would.”

“Alright, hold on while I arrange that for you. Are you all forming a new party?”

“Yes,” John said.

“Okay, give me a moment.” She produced a stack of forms and swiftly filled them out using their information. “Your new party has been officiated. Please return tomorrow for your permit, and identification, as we need to update your information.”

John nodded, and they exited the building. After asking a local (“The Sleepy Slime Inn is right there,” a passerby pointed to the inn at the end of the block, “and it’s pretty good.”), they headed down the block. Soon, they found an inn that, by all rights, looked more like a contemporary cafe. The outside was lined with glass windows, with a wooden door set into the left. The inside had comfortable booths against the exterior, and a wooden bar on the far side, stools lining the near side. Outside, there were a few tables set up for customers who wished to eat outdoors.

They walked in, headed up to the bar, and ordered some drinks. Lilly got herself a white russian, and took a few sips while John haggled with the innkeeper. He managed to rent two double rooms for 12 silver a night, which was an actual steal in Lilly’s eyes. It was then that Lilly saw John in a new light, a very gold-tinted light.

They ordered supper and brought their respective meals to a booth near the door. Lilly had picked the brown snaggler over wild Azalean mega-rice. The brown snaggler reminded her of a coelacanth; a lean, mean, six finned, pan-fried coelacanth of nightmare. It tasted delicious, especially when garnished with dill and dipped in clarified yoruk butter. Lilly probably wouldn’t go wading in the lake anytime soon, though.

Satisfied with her food baby, she ascended the stairs to her room that she would be sharing with Amy. She dropped her pack on the floor next to her bed and flopped down onto her back. Lilly stared at the foreign ceiling above her, still not quite used to sleeping in a different place every night. Oh well. At least I’m not sleeping on concrete.

Silence answered her thoughts, and the sounds of the night life of the city lulled her to sleep.